Promises to Keep
by mayhemdragon
Summary: Mirajane has promises to keep and relatives to defeat. Erza, to both their consternation, somehow ends up helping her out. **Pre-Lisanna's fake death and before they become S-Class mages.**
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 01: Home

The Take Over siblings lived in a house close to the forest but also nestled close to the town's walls. Mirajane had purchased it early on her career, when she and her family were still settling into the guild. It hadn't been easy, but the white-haired girl had been deadset on keeping her tiny family from disappearing into the guild's exuberant warmth.

The house was small and a tad shabby. Sometimes, when talking to her family, Mirajane sardonically called it the "Grand Residence." Everyone else, however, referred to it as "that damn house" because it had a cantankerous spell that dumped trespassers into the town's public fountain. Well aware of this, having been a recipient of said spell, Erza rapped on the front door, instead of her preferred method entering via second story window. She was tired and wounded from her latest mission and although she'd love to wash up, she was in no mood for a public bath.

(It had been a straightforward job in many ways. Hacking and slashing, ignoring all pain until she was the last one standing. But she was fighting against slavers and she never felt the usual satisfaction when dealing with those scumbugs, only a heavy ache at the back of her throat. As for the slaves, she did what she could, but it never felt like enough.)

The dorm had wonderful facilities, but she didn't think she could make it back without collapsing. There was no shame, none at all, in stopping by her rival's house for the enormous healing kit she knew the Take Over family had. (Lies, of course. But really, she was just so exhausted. She hoped Mirajane found some semblance of humanity in her heart not to mock her.) No one became as strong as they did without collecting scrapes, broken bones or internal injuries.

The door swung open and she was suddenly face to face, or more accurately, face to Elfman's chest. He had shot up in height the past few months and she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. She liked Elfman, with his straightfoward and sincere personality. She even persuaded (bribed with trips to the zoo) him to teach her how to dance, ballroom style.

(It was the most obvious in Lisanna, but even Mirajane and Elfman behaved in a smooth, oddly aristocratic manner when they weren't trying to be belligerent or manly. She didn't know anything about their past, but it had been a good guess on her part when she asked Elfman to teach her how to dance. Mirajane had been furious when she found out, which made the lessons that much more enjoyable.)

Elfman blinked down at her, taking in her bloody and dirty state. (A small part of her bristled at the height difference; she wondered briefly how Mirajane dealt with it.) He opened the door wider, implicit permission to come in. "You can wash up in the bathroom. We'll treat your injuries in the kitchen afterwards."

"...Thank you." Elfman was unusually curt, but it was still better than meeting his older sister at the door.

* * *

><p>After washing up, Erza wandered into the kitchen, where she found Lisanna at the kitchen counter, leaning unhappily against a giant first aid kit. She perched on a stool and as the white-haired girl began treating her injuries with a casual, practiced air, Erza tried to find out what was wrong. She didn't like to see the normally sunny girl frown.<p>

"You and Elfman seem out of sorts. Is something wrong?"

"No, not really. Please don't worry about it." Lisanna gestured at her to roll up her sleeves.

"Has Natsu been bothering you?" Erza folded back her torn cuffs in a suitably onimous manner.

"No! No. Natsu's been great, especially since the last time you ... disciplined him."

"Then what is the problem?"

But Lisanna, to her credit, remained unfazed by Erza's impatient tone. A calculating look flitted across her face and then, almost reluctantly, "...Mirajane."

"Oh? ...I can't say I'm surprised." Erza straightened in her seat. Anything involving her rival was bound to be interesting and a little dangerous.

Lisanna snorted. "She's being stubborn as usu-"

The sound of people flying down the stairs interrupted her and the subject of their conversation burst into the kitchen, followed closely by Elfman, who was shouting at her.

"...You can't go alone, Mira! Aren't you even thinking?"

"I'm thinking, alright! I'm thinking my brother's a jer- what the hell is SHE doing here?" Mirajane skidded to a stop, glaring balefully at the redhead.

Erza kept still; considering her injuries, she was in no state for a fight. But even as she noted the frustration and weariness in her rival's clenched jaw, she felt her mouth turn down and her eyes narrow in automatic response to the other girl's hostility.

Elfman, sulkily leaning against the refrigerator, jumped in viciously. "We let her in. What, you're going to tell us who we can't invite now?"

"I- That's not what I meant and you know it. But you know what? We're done talking. I'm going and you're not."

Despite herself, Erza asked, "And where will you be going?" It was none of her business, but that's never stopped her before. And while she may not be in a state to start a brawl, she was certainly in the mood. Maybe she'd find out why her favorite members of this family were so upset.

"Stay out of this, you- "

...Maybe not.

"She wants to go to Straelen for the Einsatz Tournament." Lisanna intervened before her older sister could finish the insult.

(Straelen, from what Erza knew, was a large, prosperous city-state in the North. She didn't know much else, besides its freezing temperatures and surprisingly large population of powerful mages, organized by families rather than guilds. They kept to their own business, so the Mage Council didn't interfere. As for the tournament itself, it occurred every ten years, too infrequently to attract much attention.)

Elfman added with a meaningful grimace, "We have relatives there." Mirajane cast the two of them a furious look, but didn't say anything.

(Erza would never admit it, but one of the traits she admired in her rival was the girl's respect for her siblings. It would've been easy for Mirajane, as the oldest and strongest, to make them feel small, to intimidate them into silence or to bully them into obedience. But she never did.)

"And you can't go with her?" Erza asked. She didn't know why Lisanna and Elfman were willing to confide in her, especially in the presence of Mirajane, but she was always willing to listen.

Lisanna answered matter-of-factly, gently massaging ointment into Erza's scraped palms. "She won't be able to concentrate on the tournament and keep us safe at the same time."

"She thinks we'd be a liability," Elfman said bitterly.

This was a sore topic, judging from Mirajane's exasperated sigh. But before she could respond, Lisanna interrupted. "Stop it! We're getting nowhere, so I'm calling for a vote."

"I refuse. Both of you are obviously going to vote against me."

Erza was quietly fascinated by this glimpse of family dynamics. Mirajane was pouting and pacing while Elfman's sulky visage became triumphant at this turn of events. But Lisanna had a remarkably lighthearted expression, as if she already knew what was going to happen. Did Lisanna pull this trick often?

"Sorry, Sister. You know the rules. And don't try for any of the loopholes because we both know they won't work in this case. Elfman, what do you say?"

"Mirajane shouldn't go."

"Mira?"

"I'm going."

Elfman opened his mouth to argue, but Lisanna shushed him with a glance. She then flashed a quick smile at Erza, who felt a prickle of unease.

"And now it's my turn. Mira, unless you compromise, I'm going to vote against you. So please listen to me."

"Compromise? Quit joking around! I must've been out of my mind when I told you about the tournament in the first place." But Erza heard a familiar undercurrent of respect in her rival's furious voice. It took a lot of courage to face Mirajane so calmly.

"You told us because you know Elfman and I have a right to be involved. Now, listen."

Mirajane focused on Lisanna, but Elfman's victorious expression had melted into realization. His eyes darted swiftly to Erza, who stared back, secretly confused. Wasn't it a little too late to be embarassed that a guest was witnessing a family quarrel?

"You want to go. We don't want you to go alone. You refuse to let us come with you. The only solution is for someone else to go with you."

Lisanna took a nervous breath, but continued. "Erza goes with you."

What the hell? Why was Lisanna dragging her into this? She should have left the moment she saw that devious look flit across the younger girl's face. There was no way Mirajane would agree. She looked at her rival, not wanting to be the first to protest. But Mirajane just returned the stare, mouth pressed into a thin line and eyes dark with thought.

Then, with finality, "Agreed."

Lisanna relaxed and said graciously, "Thank you. Then I vote for you. You'll go and of course, Elfman and I will support you in every way."

Of course she could be gracious. She won. Elfman nodded in resignation while Mirajane looked... contemplative, which was terrifying.

Well, they might be used to Lisanna's clever solutions, but Erza wasn't. She spluttered as much as she ever did (which, she was proud to say, not that much), so that she ended up speaking a little less stoically than normal. "Lisanna, you can't just drag me into this. I don't even want to get involved." She diplomatically ignored Mirajane's snort of disbelief.

Elfman sighed and reluctantly handed her a neatly folded booklet from his pocket. "The prizes might be worth your time."

Skimming through the booklet, Erza was impressed. They had weapons, some actually quite decent. But still, to have to spend so much time with Mirajane... "Why not ask Kana to come with you? You get along with her very well."

"Of course I do. She's less annoying and she's more laid back. And she actually has a sense of humor. But... she's down South, helping a city find its very dangerous mascot."

Over the clatter of Elfman laying out food in front of her, Erza said, unamused, "...And yet you see no problems asking me?"

Before Mirajane could reply (probably with more insults, if her broad smirk was any indication), Lisanna jumped in. "Think of this as a job, Erza. We can discuss payment in more detail later, but at the very least, you'll want Mirajane to participate in the pair battle with you. I think you'll like the grand prize."

Flipping to the end of the booklet and letting Mirajane steal her food, Erza felt her jaw drop in shock. "The Purgatory Armor? It's been missing for years! How did the sponsors find it?"

(She'd been searching for this armor for a very long time. It was rumored to be incredibly strong, having been forged from the living skin of a very powerful demon. Of course, it was also rumored to curse the wearer in some way. That might've been true, considering her leads had all but disappeared, often under gruesome and unusual circumstances.)

Mirajane shrugged casually as she chewed on Erza's dinner roll. "One of the sponsors is a collector of pretty much everything expensive. He enjoys acquiring stuff at any cost, but doesn't care for it afterwards. He's pretty sick in the head."

Elfman chuckled at that, but then asked seriously, "So are you in, Erza?"

"...Yes. But we'll need to discuss our rules for traveling, what lines shouldn't be cross-"

"Oh, for - It's late, you're dead on your feet and I still have to wrap my head around the fact that I'll be spending an extended amount of time with you. Why do you have to be so intense all the time?" Mirajane waved Erza's fork in aggravation.

Her rival had been unusually docile so far, Erza thought wryly, so it wasn't surprising to see her finally snap. "That's exactly why we need rules. We irritate each other and while I don't know about you, I certainly don't do it on purpose."

Lisanna suddenly laughed, breaking the tension. "I kind of wish I could go, if only to see the two of you bicker. Erza, why don't you take it easy? Stay over tonight, you look exhausted. Elfman and I will take care of the details and get back to you."

Elfman chimed in. "You can take my bed."

Erza politely demurred, even though bed sounded like an excellent idea. "No, that's alright. I wouldn't want to trouble yo-"

"Just take the damn bed." Mirajane was never one for politeness.

Lisanna shook her head in fond exasperation and said diplomatically, "You don't understand how much of a favor you're doing us. Just think of this as our way of thanking you."

Since she put it that way... "If you say so. Then I'll turn in now, if you don't mind."

Mirajane rolled her eyes. "Of course we don't mind. You look horrible, so do us a favor and get going!"

Erza decided to let that comment pass. As she wearily headed upstairs, followed by a chorus of 'good nights' and quiet conversation, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. This must have been one of the reasons why Mirajane wanted to keep her family together so badly; to return home to warm smiles and good company was a luxury Erza wouldn't want to give up either, if she could have afforded it in the first place.

* * *

><p>AN: Reviews are appreciated, especially constructive criticism. Thanks for reading!

This is going to be a multi-chapter story. I have the plot worked out; it's just a matter of time and being able to write it out, which are the hardest for me to do. Wish me luck!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 02: Any Journey Can Be Sweet to the Soul

One week later, Erza found herself at the Magnolia Train Station with her luggage, absently watching Mirajane give Elfman what seemed to be an invigorating pep talk, if his enthusiastic chest thumping were any indication. It was funny, she never knew Mirajane had it in her to be inspiring, though her brother probably wasn't the toughest audience.

Lisanna sidled up to her, asking lightly, "What're you thinking, Erza?"

"Hmm? ...Nothing."

The white-haired girl gave a 'hmm' of her own and then spoke up with the easy boldness Erza was learning to dread. "If I had to guess, I'd say you were thinking you don't know my sister very well."

Erza flinched inwardly, uncomfortable with how quickly Lisanna saw through her. "...Are you also psychic, by any chance?"

The girl smiled slyly. "We're a talented family, Erza. You should know that by now."

She did. They might have lacked their sister's sheer power and skill, but Lisanna and Elfman made up for it in efficiency and thoroughness. They hadn't been kidding when they promised their full support. Two days after she'd been persuaded to go, Lisanna stopped by her dorm with an unusually detailed contract, a list of recommended equipment, a trip itinerary and a ridiculous amount of reading.

Erza blinked down at Lisanna. "She's lucky to have the two of you."

The girl's grin grew warm. "We're lucky to have her. I'm glad you're going, Erza. It makes me feel a lot better."

"It'll be difficult. You know that."

The girl pursed her lips. "I've told you before, Mirajane's different when she's on a mission. She doesn't play around."

"Could've fooled me."

Lisanna looked over Erza's shoulder, at Mirajane and Elfman, who were wrapping up their conversation. "She fools a lot of people. But she trusts you and this trip's important to her. If you try, she'll meet you more than halfway."

Erza couldn't help herself and snorted in disbelief. Although their paths crossed less frequently nowadays, she couldn't imagine Mirajane even trying to be friendly.

(Their last real fight was six months ago. In retaliation for stealing a job, Mirajane tormented Erza until the redhead finally broke during the largest guild convention of the year and struck back with everything she had. It had been a bad enough fight that Mirajane actually used her Take Over spells, something she'd never done in their fights before.

It had been an epic battle, Gray told her afterwards. Frankly, Erza didn't remember much of the "epic" part. Even though she attacked first, she had been surprised by Mirajane's intense retaliation; she felt like she had been literally fighting for her life. She was all too aware of the damage they inflicted on each other, but she had no idea of the destruction they caused.

Only after Markarov held them apart with his massive fists was Erza able to finally survey what was left of their surroundings and register everybody's stunned stares. She was torn between chagrin, pride and a lot of pain, but when she snuck a glance at Mirajane, to see if the other mage was as conflicted as she was, she was surprised to find her staring at the destruction with an almost stricken look on her face.

After that, Mirajane dialed down her intensity towards Erza. Their interactions were still grating but infrequent and almost superficial. Despite her confusion, Erza took this change of behavior in stride as it was one less troublesome thing in her life. However, whenever she caught glimpses of Mirajane, she found herself missing their more intense spats. Mirajane was always a worthy opponent.)

Lisanna rolled her eyes at Erza's skeptical attitude, looking like her sister for an uncomfortable moment. "It's because you try so hard to be cool and dignified. Of course she wants to get a reaction out of you. Plus, you're strong enough to be interesting, which makes you her favorite chewtoy."

Erza glared at the younger girl, making Lisanna grin. "Just give her a smile, alright? A sincere one. You won't lose anything and at worst, you'll make her very confused. At best, she'll accidentally smile back and I promise, making her smile when she doesn't want to is... It's actually kind of gratifying."

"Why are you pushing-"

"Lisanna! Mira wants to talk to you!" Elfman called out, interrupting their conversation.

The girl's mouth twisted in slight frustration. "Erza, just try, okay? Elfman and I won't be there and I'm not sure what she's planning, but whatever she's going to do, please support her. That includes being a friendly face. So smile!" Looking over at her sister, she added with sudden alarm, "I better go, she looks impatient." She darted away, passing her brother and leaving Erza's questions unanswered.

Elfman came up to Erza, grinning at her. "We should probably load your bags onto the train."

"Mirajane doesn't need your help?" Erza tried not to show how disgruntled she was. It wasn't Elfman's fault his sisters were so infuriating.

"She only has two. She packs light." Grunting as he picked up two trunks, he asked, "So, what was Lisanna talking about?"

Erza said, "She asked me to try and get along with Mirajane."

He was silent for a moment, looking around for the right car. Once he found it, he spoke up, "...I've always thought the two of you could've made a good team from the beginning."

Erza winced inwardly.

(In her defense, she had been taken by surprise. Master Markarov told her about the new kids who had joined the guild while she had been away on a job, hinting at how the oldest could become a good friend. And for some reason, Erza imagined that this new girl would be very similar to herself. Of course, the moment she laid eyes on Mirajane, leaning against the bar and oozing confidence, all her hopes were completely dashed. She had just been so shocked and disappointed, she blurted out loud in frony of the entire guild that the new girl looked like a gothic hooker.

For a moment, Mirajane looked genuinely hurt and Erza scrambled to apologize, but she couldn't help the sanctimonious tone leaking into her voice, because really, those clothes and that attitude were... inappropriate, especially for a twelve-year old girl. Mirajane quickly picked up on that; her hurt expression emptied into rage and she hit Erza in the jaw. Unsurprisingly, Erza quickly lost the urge to apologize. It was an explosive start to their relationship.)

Feebly, to her own ears at least, Erza said, "She's the one who tried to rip my throat out on her first day." That was the first time she didn't win decisively against someone her own age. It had been a very humbling experience.

Entering the car, Elfman scoffed politely. "Wouldn't you? She'd rather be remembered as the girl who fought the resident badass to a standstill on her first day instead of the girl who dressed like a prostitute."

"Do you hold it against me?"

He sighed. "How can I? My sister's just as stubborn as you, probably even worse. I just think the two of you could be accomplishing amazing things together."

Erza didn't say anything. He was probably right, but a team couldn't survive on overwhelming firepower alone. Besides their personalities clashing violently, she doubted Mirajane would ever leave her siblings for another group, unless Lisanna and Elfman broke away first. (Personally, Erza was predicting Lisanna would be the first to go, considering how well she and Natsu were getting along.)

Placing the trunks on the luggage rack, Elfman continued talking. "But even if you guys do hate each other - which I don't believe, by the way - I'm relieved you're going. You're one of the few people I trust to take care of her." The heavy sincerity in his voice made Erza look up sharply.

"It's just a tournament, Elfman. Are you that worried about your relatives?" Lisanna and Elfman's anxiety was unusual. They normally had so much confidence in Mirajane.

Elfman laughed grimly, sliding their booth door open. "Only the one. But he's powerful and a nasty piece of work." His face twisted into a scowl, "He didn't come after us, probably because he thought we'd die on our own. But once he realizes Mirajane's back in Straelen, I'm sure he'll try something."

Finally, someone was being honest. Looking over her shoulder, even though she knew the others were outside, she hissed lowly, "It's can't be just the tournament, then. What other reason does she have for going back?"

Stuffing the last piece of luggage underneath one seat, Elfman shrugged with frustration. "I have no idea. As far as I know, we've cut all ties to Straelen. When I was eleven, Mirajane just told us, 'Let's go,' and we went." He grew thoughtful. "We had no money for the train, but she had gear and supplies prepared. I guess she'd been planning for a long time."

"You just left? You and Lisanna didn't ask why?" Erza couldn't hide her skepticism. Their family worked well together, but they were all vocal, opinionated people. She couldn't imagine Elfman and Lisanna willing to drop everything and go without any questions.

Elfman was very matter-of-fact. "For me and Lisanna, nothing was holding us back. Our parents weren't there and our situation wasn't the best. So we were more than glad to leave. Mirajane was actually pretty close with one of our cousins, but she hasn't really talked about her since we left. Maybe she's going back for her."

Erza glanced at him. It was hard for her to imagine Mirajane being so close to someone other than Elfman and Lisanna.

Elfman must've sensed her skepticism because he said, "I'm telling the truth! She spent her days with us, but after dinner, she'd run across the entire city just to spend her evenings with Alexa. I just don't know how they got so close or what they even talked about."

"I thought she tells you everything." From what she could tell, Mirajane was completely honest with her siblings, even when to her disadvantage. And this Alexa, she must've had blackmail material or something for her to have Mirajane come to her every day. She couldn't imagine the other girl making such an effort to see someone.

He snorted as they exited the car. "It's only her sense of responsibility that makes her tell us things in the first place. Mirajane's done a lot for me and Lisanna. So if she wants a little privacy, we're not going to pry."

Stopping at the steps of the car, he looked over his shoulder at her. "Basically, I don't care about why she's going. Just keep her safe."

Erza nodded firmly, hiding her concern. She'd already signed the contract and the Purgatory Armor was almost within her grasp. But she was not a fool, no matter what Mirajane said, and she felt uneasy. Not even Lisanna and Elfman had any idea what their sister was planning. For such a close family, that was discomforting. On top of that, exactly what kind of relatives did they have, if they were willing to leave all of a sudden? Straelen was far from Fiore and it was not an easy journey by foot.

She wanted to interrogate Elfman further, but the rest of his family was approaching, so she kept silent. She knew the general history of Straelen, thanks to Lisanna's detailed research and her own curiosity, but it was clear Mirajane had a personal stake. She needed to know what they were getting into and if Mirajane had any decency at all, she'd answer Erza's questions later.

As they got closer, her travel companion gestured for Erza to enter the car. "Red, get in. You probably take extra time to get settled, what with your armor and extra-stuffy personality."

Erza felt a scowl snap into place, but Lisanna whispered loudly, "She wants to hug us, but not in front of you." Her sister flushed while Elfman chuckled.

Erza relaxed and struck by a sudden idea, reached out to embrace Lisanna. The smaller girl squirmed against her breastplate in surprise at first, but eventually squeezed her tight in response and murmured chidingly, "She's totally glaring at you right now, isn't she?"

She pretended not to hear, ignoring Mirajane's angry stare and turned to Elfman, intending to give him a firm, dignified handshake. But her plan backfired when he boldly lifted her into a tight hug instead and his sisters laughed at her indignant expression.

When she got away at last, Mirajane shoved her impatiently towards the train, muttering, "Go away. Give me some space!"

Erza scoffed quietly, but didn't voice her protests. She wanted to get away from what she was sure to be a touching moment, but as she slid into her seat, she couldn't avoid observing the siblings from the window. Mirajane was hugging Lisanna fiercely and Elfman's arms were tightly wrapped around both of them. Erza couldn't see her rival's face, but she clearly saw Elfman beaming, his worry invisible for the moment. And Lisanna, in the center of it all, wore a gorgeous, content smile.

For a second, Erza wished she was there with her. What did it feel like, to be surrounded by all that open affection? She shied away from the question. But even as she sternly remembered that she didn't need such attachments, she suddenly wanted to see Mirajane's expression. What did she look like when she was alone with her family, with no one else around?

The train whistle blew suddenly and the siblings separated hastily. Erza looked away just as Mirajane, not even bothering with the door, came flying through the window. With flair, she slammed the window closed and ignoring Erza's presence, waved at her siblings, grinning wildly.

The train jerked into a start and as it began leaving the station, Erza breathed out in relief, glad to finally be off. Mirajane, turning away from the window with her smile slipping away, stared thoughtfully at the redhead.

Mindful of her conversations with Lisanna and Elfman, Erza ignored all her instincts screaming otherwise and allowed herself to smile. (She'd try her very best to accomplish what they asked. It was the professional thing to do.) It wasn't too forced. No matter the circumstances, she always enjoyed the start of a new journey and she knew the other girl felt the same way. They were both in Fairy Tail, after all. An appreciation for adventure was practically a guild requirement.

Mirajane blinked and in a heartbeat, she was crossing over to Erza's side. "Move over. I can't stand to look at your face for so long."

Erza exhaled in annoyance, but she shifted a tiny bit. Mirajane's dark blue eyes flickered in bemusement at her acquiescence, then her smirk reluctantly morphed into a brief, brilliant smile. And even as the white-haired girl tried to shove her closer to the window, Erza thought grudgingly, that maybe Lisanna may be right after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 03: Are We There Yet?

The booth was silent for several minutes, Magnolia Town quickly disappearing behind them. Erza usually had no problem with silence, being well-acquainted with it. During her own jobs, she would sometimes spend the entire trip not speaking to anyone and just looked out the window instead. But it was one thing to look out the window alone and another to look out the window with Mirajane staring at her from across the table.

(Five minutes after she'd gotten Erza to shift closer to the window, Mirajane wrinkled her nose and said Erza smelled like rusty metal. Insulted, Erza shoved her into the other seat. There was absolutely no rust on her person.)

Erza didn't want to give in, but it would be two days, two nights and one morning before they'd arrive in Straelen. (The city was far away, but thanks to cutting-edge spells and two expensive, first-class tickets, the length of the trip was halved. Mirajane was definitely in a hurry; she usually bordered on the miserly.) She'd never accomplish any significant window-gazing at this rate. Might as well go first and get the upper hand. She cleared her throat.

"I wish Kana could've come."

Erza's breath hitched. She started to glare, but realized with some discomfort that Mirajane was watching her with interest, not viciously like she'd thought. It didn't erase the surprising sting of the remark, though.

"You're the one who said she's away." And before she could stop herself, "Anyways, why Kana?" It wasn't that she didn't like the card mage; she admired the other girl's versatility, skill and laid-back personality, but still...

Mirajane arched an eyebrow. "Besides the fact that she and I actually teamed up before?"

Erza felt an unexpected flare of jealousy. "Yes. Besides that."

The other girl glanced at her appraisingly. "I know she doesn't seem as strong as you are, but she makes up for the difference in other ways. Her magic's excellent for non-combat and she's good in sticky social situations."

She couldn't argue against the first point; who didn't wish they could make water appear out of the blue or divine locations? But she wasn't as socially awkward as Mirajane implied. Lashing out a little, she said, "I'm the one Master Makarov brings to the guild meetings. You don't go at all." Makarov had been bringing Erza to the meetings for a while now, citing that they'd be dull yet valuable experiences for the future. But the master rarely played favorites and if he offered Erza the chance to attend the meetings as a representative of Fairy Tail, he definitely would have given Mirajane the same opportunity, even if her behavior probably would set back guild relations by decades.

The other girl scoffed resentfully. "I don't want to! I've read the notes; it's all posturing and arguing over trivial matters. I bet you don't even do that. You probably just stand there like a lump of stone, too afraid to talk!"

Erza narrowed her eyes. That hit too close to home. It was somewhat true; she was content to listen to the guild masters debate, but not because she was intimidated with their rank. "What are you trying to say?"

The white-haired girl leaned closer. "I can fool people, trick them into making mistakes. Kana's decent." Erza tried to interrupt, but Mirajane continued sharply. "Watch her for bit and maybe you'll see what I mean. But you, you have no subtlety outside of battle. If you're not stumbling through a half-baked lie, your poker face manages to give away how troubled you are. How is that even possible?"

Erza was a little taken aback by Mirajane's intensity (among other things - was she that transparent or was Mirajane and her family that perceptive?), but she held her ground. "From what I understand, this tournament requires none of those... skills." She spat the last word out with curt disdain. "But I have no patience for your games. Be honest about why we're going to Straelen. Then maybe I'll try to be what you need me to be because even if you always try to make my life difficult, I don't intend to let Elfman and Lisanna down."

She expected Mirajane to flare up like she always did, but the other girl's annoyed expression softened into a frightening thoughtfulness. Erza shifted in her seat, wondering if she'd finally broken through their animosity. Who knew invoking Mirajane's siblings would do the trick? Or had it been her plea for professionalism?

"Where's your contract?"

Erza blinked. Mirajane was halfway out of her seat, her eyes darting around their booth, presumably looking for the document. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Huffing with impatience, Mirajane began searching through her own bags and quickly whipped out a folder. Leafing through its contents, she asked distractedly, "I forget, what's higher priority - keeping me safe or supporting my goals?"

Erza watched with a creeping sense of dread. "I'm not sure. Safety, I imagine." Elfman's request resonated in her mind, but Lisanna's echoed as well. She tried to cover up her uncertainty. "Are you still trying to play around? I told you, I-"

Mirajane glared. "Does it look like I am?" She shook a page at Erza. "It's an important question. I can hardly tell you anything if your top priority's my safety. I'd have to fight you every step of the way if that were the case." She scanned her page quickly and flashed a triumphant smirk. "You are to, and I quote, first support Mirajane Strauss in achieving her objectives in every way possible, and second, keep her safe while doing so."

She really hated that smirk. "...Let me see that." Erza grabbed at the paper. She definitely had Lisanna add a specific qualifier afterwards. She wouldn't have signed otherwise. She relaxed as she read the next few lines that Mirajane conveniently ignored. "In line with the above, and I quote," Erza broke off to glare at her companion, "Mirajane will not require Erza to perform any actions that might bring her dishonor."

The other girl's face fell. Lisanna clearly hadn't told her about the new clause. But her disappointment was soon replaced with a sneer. "Dishonor, you said? A little late, isn't it?"

Erza's hand clenched, wrinkling the contract. Every time they were getting somewhere in their tenuous relationship, one of them would destroy the momentum. "That had been the means to a good end and I'm not ashamed of my actions. Besides, you kept me from sleeping for a week, made me lose my temper in front of all the guilds, and severely hurt me. When will you just let it go?"

Her eyes dark, Mirajane stared balefully at Erza. "And people wonder why I find you so infuriating. For someone with such an upstanding reputation, you have no qualms about stabbing me in the back."

Erza resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I stole a job from you; that's hardly stabbing you in the back."

"You have no idea how badly I wanted that grimoire," Mirajane swiftly countered. "You steal my job by leveraging your reputation with the client. Now a town is in ruins and you destroyed the book. Annhilating that slave ring was the only good thing that came out of that fiasco, and even then, you were badly injured. You should've come to me and we would've easily achieved both our goals."

Unable to help herself, Erza said harshly, "Be realistic, Mirajane. You would have tried to take advantage of me. You talk about working together, but it goes both ways. There's why I had Lisanna stick that clause there."

(Lisanna had been almost offended on Mirajane's behalf when she asked, as if she didn't think Erza needed that kind of protection. She had argued that Mirajane wouldn't waste time making unncessary requests, but Erza was adamant. She had experience with unsavory clients before and she didn't trust Mirajane not to torture her with random, potentially humiliating tasks.)

Mirajane murmured, "I knew she didn't include that herself. She knows better than to toss around words like 'dishonor' in a contract." Then her features hardened. "I can admit responsibility for my behavior, but you still took the easy way out. You should've asked me."

"Last time I asked you for something, you made me pay two million in diamonds within twenty-four hours. You can't blame me for not wanting to ask you for anything."

Mirajane suddenly laughed and just like that, the tension was gone. "For the Demon's Fang, I remember. You do realize two million was already a fair price? I could've easily gotten three million on the market."

"I hope my reaction was worth it. I had to shake down all the merchants. And Magnolia Town's richest citizens." She had been too stressed to appreciate intimidating pretentious snobs, but now, Erza fought to keep her voice grim and her mouth from smiling.

"I was kind of impressed. Didn't think you'd be able to do it." Mirajane's eyes were dancing, even as she muttered her admiration. Erza allowed herself to smile slightly. The minute before her time was up, she'd come bursting through the doors, carrying a huge diamond under her arm like a sack of potatoes. The shock on Mirajane's face had been immensely gratifying.

"What did you do with those diamonds, anyways?" She didn't remember Mirajane ever wearing or flaunting any of them afterwards.

Mirajane grinned. "I traded most of them in for cash immediately. I've no use for gemstones." She searched for a reaction, but Erza refused to give her the satisfaction, even though she felt like throwing a fit. All that effort for nothing.

With a small sigh of disappointment, Mirajane fell back into her seat and stared at Erza. Erza stared back, wondering what she was thinking. Eventually, Mirajane said evenly, "Next time you do something that involves me, don't go behind my back."

Not used to her tone, Erza shot back warily, "As long as you don't make ridiculous, meaningless requests of me, we'll be just fine."

Mirajane laughed drily. "I won't be doing that for a while. But I'm serious." Her voice dipped into sly condescension. "I know you're used to doing things solo. So during this job, you check with me first."

Erza bristled quietly, but didn't react otherwise. The way Mirajane was acting, was this the professionalism Lisanna spoke of? It wasn't very different, save for the much-appreciated lack of overt hostility and more subtle-than-usual arrogance. "You going to tell me your plans for Straelen?"

The other girl shrugged. "According to the contract, your highest priority is to support me. It's in my best interest to be honest."

She somehow doubted that, but Erza was willing to get what she could at this time. They'd already gotten past some of their animosity and she didn't want to risk their progress with a catty remark.

"But first, let's see what you know about Straelen." With a mischievous smirk, Mirajane dug out Lisanna's very thick informational packet.

Erza groaned inwardly.

Hours later, Erza finally lost her temper and snarled deliberately offensive answers to questions she knew had to be irrelevant to Mirajane's still undisclosed goals. Unless the tie-breaking tournament round for the Purgatory Armor consisted of Straelen trivia, who cared when Friedrich Strauss II married his goat? Even though Mirajane obviously enjoyed her frustration, she also seemed to share Erza's loathing of factoids, raising an eyebrow in distaste as she scanned the last few pages of Lisanna's research.

Sighing as she stood and stretched, Mirajane remarked with irritation, "Lisanna doesn't really put too much thought into these reports; it reminds her too much of studying. It's why I make her do a required number of pages, but that obviously has its disadvantages."

A required minimum of 200 doublesided pages? No wonder Lisanna's last section had been an appendix of city cemetaries. She'd clearly been scraping the bottom of the barrel for inspiration. Erza let herself slouch just a little in her seat. It had been a long afternoon. Mirajane had questioned her heavily, and aside from minor forays into the topic of bestiality, concentrated on the how's and why's of Straelen's history, economy, law and its major players. Erza was incredibly grateful she studied beforehand, if only because she could snidely remind Mirajane that yes, she was intelligent.

Drawing a hand through her hair, Mirajane looked down at Erza with pity. "Get up, Tinhead." She kicked at Erza's legs and exited their car, calling over her shoulder, "We're going to dinner."

Erza's weariness fled at the mention of food and she got up, rolling her shoulders quickly before catching up with Mirajane. The walk was quiet, probably because neither of them were up to speaking or even thinking after such a long day, but eventually, she became aware of the other girl's scrutiny.

"What?" Erza snapped tiredly. They had arrived at the dining car and Mirajane had stopped at the entrance.

"This is first class. Do you have anything more formal?" Mirajane's voice was neutral as she transformed out of her clothes into a conservative but flattering navy blue dress and shook out her ponytail.

Erza stared at the sight of the other girl in an actual dress and tried not to take offense. She'd never been in first class before, always opting for the cheapest because acquiring and maintaining her equipment was expensive. Someday, when she became S-class, she'd be able to afford such luxuries. But when had Mirajane been in first class? She rarely bought anything extravagant, sometimes to the disappointment of her siblings.

Erza requiped her brand new Heart Kreuz armor, tilting her head belligerently, daring the other girl to comment, but Mirajane only nodded and politely gestured at Erza to open the door for her. Put off-balance by her demure behavior, Erza slid the door open without complaint. Then with a quiet exhale and a subtle straightening of her spine, Mirajane walked into the dining car, Erza following close behind her.

It was strange. The glimpses of refinement Erza saw in her and her siblings were now apparent in every step and gesture. Soft and smooth, Mirajane conversed quietly with the sharply-dressed manager. Hiding how disoriented she was, Erza watched her companion carefully. She wasn't the only one. Nearly all talk stopped for a moment when they stepped into the luxurious dining car. She could feel the weight of the diners' stares and as their conversations resumed, she could hear them whispering her name and wondering who she was with. Uncomfortable and frowning slightly, she waited for Mirajane to finish. She stiffened when the other girl laid a hand gently on her armored wrist, but didn't dare raise a fuss with strangers watching them. Pulled along, they trailed behind the manager to a fairly secluded table set with more forks and knives than she'd ever seen. Feeling out of her depth, she waited for Mirajane to be seated first and followed how she let the staff pull out the seat for her and settled the napkin on her lap.

When the man finally left them alone with promises of food and wine, Erza said flatly, "What the hell, Mirajane?" It was an open-ended question for an open-ended answer. Across the small table, Mirajane smiled. In any other circumstance, she would've been smirking, relishing Erza's discomfort. At least her words, though soft, carried her usual taunting tone.

"You know, the more uncomfortable you are, the more you look like you're trying to digest rocks?"

"Never mind that," Erza hissed quietly, still too aware of people's attention. "How are you so... comfortable with all this?" Her eyes darted around the car, taking in the expensive clothes, the self-satisfied smiles, and opulent decorations. She felt like a fraud just for breathing the same air, which was ridiculous. She didn't fight for her freedom just so she could be intimidated by the upper crust.

A young waiter came by with bread and Mirajane thanked him prettily, making him blush and glance nervously at Erza for some reason. Once he left, Mirajane's gaze flitted around the car as she delicately pulled apart a slice of bread. Erza frowned in impatience, but grabbed her own slice and followed her companion's way of eating. Finally, when her eyes traveled back to Erza's, Mirajane said, "My father was a member of the Strauss family."

Erza pushed a piece of bread into her mouth to hide her reaction. According to Lisanna's research, the Strauss family was one of the most powerful mage families in Straelen. They were very influential, thanks to their signature transformation magic and consequently, ruthless aptitude for intelligence gathering and other unsavory activities. Rumored to have supernatural ancestry and obsessed with bloodlines, members from the major line tended towards blonde hair, green eyes and strong magic while the appearance and skills of others of weaker lines varied drastically. And unofficially, there were many people in Straelen with at least some Strauss blood. Erza stared at Mirajane, trying to find similarities between her features and pictures of old Strauss patriachs included in Lisanna's report, but she couldn't. She'd never been good at faces anyways.

Eventually she spoke as neutrally as possible, watching Mirajane tear her bread into tiny pieces with an unwavering smile. "...Bastard child?"

The smile never faltered. "He was from the main line, but he had unusual coloring." Narrowing her blue eyes, Mirajane raked a hand through her white hair and her voice hardened. "Because of that disadvantage, he never managed to accomplish anything significant. He lived and died a worthless man." Her gaze was direct and almost challenging.

Her disdain was palpable, but her composure was still intact. Yet despite her pleasant and increasingly annoying facade, Mirajane was somehow wary and cornered, expecting judgement and prepared to strike. Of course, Erza might've been guessing a bit, but three years of mutual antagonism couldn't be wrong. Mirajane might be able to read Erza's face, but Erza could see right through her tricks, no matter how skilled she was. She was actually more surprised by Mirajane's restraint.

"How old were you when he died?"

"Five. Once he died, the child support payments stopped." At Erza's questioning look, she explained. "There's a large number of bastards in Straelen. The law protects us somewhat. In any case, once our father's money stopped, our mothers left us at the family's main estate. Best thing they ever did for us, I suppose, aside from giving birth to us."

Elfman had to be her half brother then, judging from appearances. Erza wanted time to just process what she'd heard so far, link it with what she'd read in the report. But Mirajane was being unusually honest, if freakishly pleasant and Erza needed to take advantage of the opportunity. Judging by the barely touched food and her restless gaze, her companion would definitely return to her abrasive self outside of the dining car, which would be a mixed blessing. "Were your mothers worthless too?"

"They were musicians, but were more adept at deceiving and stealing." Mirajane's smile grew a little more wicked and a little more wistful. "They knew how to have fun and I remember learning some useful things from them, but that's all." She shrugged nonchalantly. "No clue if they're still alive or not. Last I heard, they went missing after their troupe conned the Baurel family."

Erza winced. Lisanna's report had pages dedicated to the Baurel family and their infamous acts of vengeance. From what she understood, none of the troupe probably survived to celebrate for very long. Their father died and their mothers were killed. And from the sound of it, they weren't great parents. Yet Erza was just a little jealous. Mirajane knew her parents long enough to declare them worthless. She had centuries of family history at her fingertips. Erza didn't even have that. But she had learned enough about the Strauss family today to know that the main bloodline treated their multitude of bastards and weaker relatives like indentured servants and used them as pawns in petty attempts to one-up each other. Lisanna's tone in the report had been professionally distant, but Erza couldn't fight the thought that the younger girl had been describing some of their personal experiences. Their lives had been better than slavery, but not that much better. A different kind of servitude.

"We were with the main family until we left. It's why I'm familiar all of this. Usually from the other side of the table, though." Mirajane gestured at their waiter, standing at attention in a corner. Then doing a slight doubletake at Erza's expression, she finally scowled. "Don't look at me like that. If you don't stop right now, I swear I'll hit you the moment we get out of here."

Looking at her like what? Checking her reflection on a spoon, Erza caught sight of the group of young women sitting behind her. They were watching her and Mirajane and they were talking. And giggling. Mirajane noticed as well and in a flash, her attitude flipped. With a quick, teasing grin and to Erza's chagrin, she started imitating their frivolity. The rest of dinner was filled with her nonsensical chatter (why did she know so much about were-bunnies?) and Erza limited herself to short answers, casually noting that Mirajane wasn't eating at all.

When they finally finished dessert and coffee, she was more than ready to go. But as they were leaving, they encountered the maitre'd (apparently his formal title). Mirajane engaged him in a conversation about the waitstaff and the chef, while Erza was left to her own devices. She occupied herself by half-listening to the exhange and thinking how a charming Mirajane was just too disturbing.

She jolted out of her thoughts when one of the women, a pretty brunette, from the group of giggling ladies, approached her with a winsome smile. "Sorry to bother you, but my friends and I absolutely have to know. Are you Erza Scarlet, Titania of Fairy Tail?"

Mirajane hadn't said anything about hiding their identities and she would've if she thought it was important. Nevertheless, Erza tensed and glanced over at the lady's friends, hovering at the edges with bated breath. She expected them to flinch, but they giggled instead, some of them even blushing. "I am. Is there something I can do f-" She was interrupted by the woman's squeal of delight.

"I'm a huge fan of you and your guild! I've followed Fairy Tail since forever!"

Pleased to hear a rare, positive reaction about the guild, but a little put off by her enthusiasm, Erza asked politely, "Do you follow all our mages?"

"Oh no, only the best." Erza opened her mouth to ask, but the lady beat her to it. "Obviously Gildarts, but within our age range, that'd be you, Laxus, and Mystogan. I've heard good things about Kana as well. You know she's already found that desert city's mascot? She divined its nest in the sewers. Very impressive." She moved in closer. "Still, you're my favorite. I find your little crusades very admirable." She laid her hand on Erza's arm while her friends tittered.

Erza pulled away discreetly. She knew popular male mages flirted with their fans all the time, but she was too young for this. Although maybe it wasn't too bad; this lady looked only few years older, despite her grown-up flair. Suddenly aware of Mirajane's interested gaze, she felt her neck heat up. Then she frowned; The brunette's namedropping hadn't been complete.

"You haven't heard anything about Miraja-" Again she was interrupted, but this time by Mirajane herself, who had quickly wrapped a possessive arm around Erza's waist. Self-conditioned never to give Mirajane the satisfaction of seeing her yelp, Erza kept still, but from the corner of her eye, she saw amusement flit across Mirajane's face. She braced herself internally.

"Darling, thanks for waiting. Are you almost done here?" Mirajane's eyes were very blue as she gazed earnestly at Erza.

Her teeth were grinding in discomfort, but she answered as smoothly as she could. "I'm just talking to a fan of Fairy Tail. I was surprised to find out she's never heard of you." Mirajane only smiled in response.

The brunette was watching them with narrowed eyes, taking in Mirajane's appearance and familiarity with Erza. "I don't recognize you at all. Are you also from Fairy Tail?"

Mirajane laughed prettily. "Yes, but I'm afraid I haven't accomplished very much compared to our Titania." Erza was discomforted by her very sincere and adoring gaze, but her mind was caught by Mirajane's response. Their relationship revolved around their personalities, but was strengthened by professional rivalry. She made it a priority to keep up with Mirajane's activities and from the logs, she knew the other girl had been completing very high profile missions for ages now. Mirajane was blatantly lying. Regardless, why didn't the brunette know of her?

"I see. You're one of those mages." The conversation turned vicious all of a sudden. "Those mages" were the people who joined a guild, only to do nothing but hang around and basked in the reflected glory of better mages. It was a very strong insult for any career mage and Erza's hackles rose. How dare this outsider say that? Fairy Tail definitely had slacker mages, but Mirajane was certainly not one of them. In any case, it wasn't any of this woman's business.

Mirajane's smile only grew sweeter. "It has its perks." Then her expression turned wicked as she tangled her fingers with Erza's and squeezed firmly in warning. "I have a whole night of fun planned for just the two of us, so you'll have to excuse us." Without waiting to see the brunette's affronted expression and Erza's sudden blush, Mirajane turned towards the exit, giving Erza's hand a final little tug of "keep up, why don't you."

Erza gave the brunette a mortified nod farewell and strode quickly after Mirajane, sliding the door open for her. She was pleased to see the other girl's flicker of surprise, which disappeared too quickly into a look of fury. But as if she knew everyone in the dining car were still watching them, her movements still carried that aristocratic bearing. Conscious of that, Erza spoke only when they were safely away from the dining car.

"A whole evening of fun, you said?" To her embarrassment, her voice came out a little strangled, but it seemed to calm Mirajane, who laughed shortly.

"If that's the way you act around your fans, be prepared to be treated like a pet." She transformed into her usual clothes and snarled furiously under her breath, tying her hair back up. "So glad to be done with that."

Erza couldn't agree more. "Is that the only place we can get food? I'd rather not go back if we don't have to."

Surprisingly, Mirajane didn't make fun of Erza's admission. "Two things. I paid for that food and I refuse to waste it." She scowled. "Second, you attracted a lot of attention tonight. It'd look suspicious if we don't continue eating there."

Erza scowled at her accusing tone. "You can't blame me if everyone there knew who I was. You certainly didn't help matters when you talked to that lady. She was ready to make a scene before you dragged me out!"

"I had to step in before you made things worse." Mirajane's voice was unexpectedly even.

"I was doing fine before you interrupted. I was just about to ask her why she hasn't heard of..." Erza stopped, but Mirajane shouldered past her, refusing to meet her eyes.

Erza was beginning to see. Mirajane's refusal to attend meetings with Markarov, her devastated look after their very public battle in front of all the guilds and just now, when she prevented Erza from asking about her and even denied all her achievements. The question was why, but Erza had to admit she was very curious how Mirajane managed to hide in plain sight.

"For someone who boasted at being great at misleading people, you're not doing such a good job right now." She cringed inwardly. Not a good way to start, but it was habit by now to provoke Mirajane.

Mirajane sniped back. "Maybe it's because you're not worth the effort." She slammed open their door and threw herself onto a seat, arm across her eyes. Erza stepped in and locked the door after her, but remained standing, feeling like she needed all the advantages she could get, however insignificant. Mirajane had done a remarkable job restraining herself during dinner, so she would probably lash out now. But at least this sulky, angry Mirajane should be better than the smiling, pleasant stranger back in the dining car.

She opened her mouth to speak when Mirajane snarled harshly, her eyes still closed. "Tinhead, one more question and I guarantee you'll be chewing on my knuckles."

Erza was suddenly weary. Why did Mirajane have to be so difficult? She responded maliciously. "Sometimes I wonder how Lisanna and Elfman can love you. How in the world do they even tolerate you?"

Mirajane opened an eye and Erza watched it turn slitted and piercing like a feline's. No matter how many times she saw it happen, it never ceased to be simultaneously fascinating and terrifying. But Erza promised herself long ago to never be a coward again, and instead of running away like her baser instincts screamed at her to do, she knelt down in front of Mirajane, face to face, trying to gauge the impact of her words. The other girl only tilted her head to look at Erza fully. Both eyes were slitted and blazing a dark, dark blue. In a level, furious voice, she said, "Don't you dare talk about them that way."

Erza knew then she had crossed a line. Mirajane had spoken the exact same way when she found out Erza had stolen her job and destroyed her grimoire. Not wanting a repeat of that vicious, lengthy fallout, she rose from the floor. "We should get some rest. Tomorrow'll be a long day."

She didn't bother waiting for a response. But as she prepared for bed, she could hear Mirajane shuffling behind her and aside from their rustling, the quiet was heavy and strained. They were both on edge. The person who made the next move would break the tension for better or for worse and sometimes, uncertainty was preferable. That person turned out to be Mirajane. Half an hour after they had both settled into bed, she interrupted the pitch-black of the cabin to say stiffly, "I take back what I said this afternoon. You weren't too bad at dinner. You followed my cues fairly well."

Erza stared at the ceiling. That was about as much of an apology she was going to get from Mirajane, but then again... "I shouldn't have said anything about Lisanna and Elfman." Somehow it was easier to apologize in the darkness.

"I shouldn't have let you get to me." Mirajane's blankets rustled and she spoke with weary certainty. "They're my family. I know they'll love me, no matter how horrible I become."

Erza shifted underneath her sheets. She thought of Gerard, of how he used to be and what he had done. She wondered if it was love that made her hurt so badly. "And just what are you doing?"

Her only response was a frustrated sigh. "Go to sleep, Red."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04: Seriously, Why Are We Not There Yet?

* * *

><p>A sliver of sunlight shone on her face and Erza woke up with a small start. Stretching, she peered through the curtains and bit back a startled exclamation when she realized how late it was. She usually woke up at sunrise, whether she could see the sun or not. It wasn't on purpose and maybe it was a habit left over from when she was forced to rise early as a child, but anything that made the night shorter was fine by her.<p>

But today, by her estimation, it was mid-morning and she felt unusually refreshed, which was odd, considering how draining yesterday was. No jerking awake, tearing herself out of nightmares filled with twisted smiles and insane laughter. It was something she'd let herself get used to, if she was certain it would continue.

Pacing the length of the car and preparing for the day, she glanced at Mirajane, wrapped tightly in her blanket and breathing gently. She didn't know whether the other girl was a heavy sleeper or not, but feeling oddly considerate (yesterday night could've gone a lot worse than it had), she snuck out quietly and made her way to the dining car, intent on finding food.

Remembering Mirajane barely touched her dinner yesterday evening, she placed an order for three stacks of pancakes. The maitre'd wrinkled his nose a little bit at the request, as if pancakes were below him. Or it might've been the fifteen pancakes she just ordered. Erza ignored him; a hungry Mirajane was a grumpy, almost insane Mirajane, and she'd rather not deal with that.

(Once, when Mirajane returned from a training trip, she was so hungry, she devoured other people's food when the kitchen couldn't keep up with her orders. Erza's strawberry shortcake had been one of the casualties, and she had been ready to wreak vengeance before Elfman explained with embarrassment that Take Over spells sometimes burned through their magic too quickly, so they needed to consume large amounts of food to recover. Mirajane had been training too hard, thus she was kind of loopy and desperate. Or, he amended, as they watched his sister reveal a mouthful of splintery, jagged teeth, maybe she was getting used to a new form. Either reason, she had been eating almost everything edible in sight and about ready to gnaw on the tables.)

Loitering at the entrance of the dining car and studiously ignoring everyone's glances, Erza was relieved when the maitre'd finally presented her with a tray piled high with pancakes and a tankard of syrup. As she began to leave for her car, though, she twitched slightly when she saw the brunette from yesterday evening. The young woman just beamed at her, but her eyes tracked down to the tray. Before she could ask, Erza said quickly, "I'm just bringing this back to my car. Most of it's for... for her." She didn't feel comfortable labeling Mirajane, even if it would be a fake label.

The brunette smiled, enthused to be talking to her idol but clearly resigned to the fact she wouldn't be able to keep Erza to herself. "You're just as considerate as I imagined you'd be." She laughed sheepishly. "I suppose if someone looked at me adoringly like she did with you, I'd be bringing them breakfast in bed too."

Erza smiled uneasily. Mirajane had proved to be as good as she said at misleading people yesterday night. Furthermore, she skillfully pulled Erza into her charade. By herself, Erza wasn't sure she'd be able to act convincingly. Improvisation definitely wasn't her area of expertise, though the young woman didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "So are the two of you on vacation? Headed to Straelen for some sightseeing?"

Erza hesitated. On her own, she normally was very open about her jobs. If a particular mission needed discretion, she would've never ventured out of her room in the first place. Mirajane obviously worked differently, going out in public but pretending not to be herself. Her methods were risky and confusing and once again, Erza felt a tick of irritation. But for now, she'd be vaguely honest and hope for the best. "We're going to Straelen for the tournament."

The brunette's eyes widened and obviously nonplussed, she asked, "The Einsatz Tournament? I thought only official members of the mage families were allowed to participate."

Wait, what?

The young lady continued talking, oblivious to Erza's internal confusion. "...Unless you're sponsored by one of them. Oh, I bet you are, aren't you?" Her voice became low and confidential. "I don't know whether you realize, but most families prefer their bastards to fight in their stead. It's quite the honor for an outsider to be sponsored."

Legitimacy? Sponsorship? Neither Mirajane nor Lisanna's report mentioned anything about those kinds of entry requirements. If this brunette was correct, that meant there was no way for her or Mirajane to enter the tournament on their own. Why didn't the other girl say anything? Just how much was she hiding? The perpetual flicker of aggravation Erza felt towards Mirajane was rapidly turning into anger, and she listened blankly as the woman chattered on. She finally snapped to attention when her fan hinted, "I suppose you can't tell me who your sponsor is, can you?"

Erza mustered a stiff smile and murmured, "Quite right. If you'll excuse me, the food's getting cold." She darted around the young lady and left.

She barely remembered the walk back to their car. It was a loss of control, a dangerous lack of awareness, and should've been terrifying, but Mirajane so easily and so frequently drove her into a state of blind rage that Erza was resigned to it at this point. She slammed open their door, ready to tear her so-called teammate out of bed. But she was gone, and Erza could hear the water running in the bathroom.

Carefully setting down the tray of pancakes (food was never to be wasted), Erza paced the length of the car, making the beds and tidying up as she waited for Mirajane to come out of the bathroom. (It was one of their unspoken agreements. There had to be some boundaries and the bathroom was as good as any.) All the while, even as she folded sheets and organized papers, she carefully nurtured her anger, not willing to let it die but stepping away just enough to be coherent. She needed Mirajane to understand just how furious she was. Stuttering, berserk wrath would only make her laugh.

When Mirajane finally exited the bathroom, her face still damp and a towel around her neck, she took one look at Erza and said wryly, "What's the matter, Red? Woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning?"

Ignoring the jibe, Erza just looked at her. Mirajane scowled and tried again. "You look like you just realized you overpaid for all your swords and worse, all the sellers have fled the country. Seriously, wha-"

Erza cut her off bluntly. "When were you going to tell me that we needed a sponsor for the tournament?"

All signs of playfulness vanished from Mirajane's face. "Where'd you hear that?"

"I overheard some people talking when I went to the dining car." Erza didn't mention the brunette, unwilling to give Mirajane a chance to distract her.

Her flat voice was beginning to get to Mirajane, who frowned in mock concern. "I thought you were scared to go back there. You practically begged not to eat there any-"

At those words, Erza felt that rush of anger again and before she could stop herself, she growled, "I was getting food!" She gestured violently at the pancakes, unnoticed until now and no longer warm. "You didn't eat at all yesterday."

A startled look flickered across Mirajane's face, then her eyes began to soften. It was almost enough to make Erza's resolve waver, but fortunately, Mirajane stopped herself. Her expression grew fierce as she said, "I never asked you to do that."

Erza tried not to laugh in disbelief at her hypocrisy. "So all your talk about working together was just that, then? You're worse than I am. At least I know teammates should take care of each other. And you're the one who said teammates shouldn't keep secrets! Especially if it's related to the job!" To her chagrin, she was shouting. She caught her breath and her temper and shook her head. "I'm doing my best, Mirajane, but there's no point unless you meet me halfway."

Mirajane had endured her tirade until that point, maintaining an increasingly scornful facade, as if she found Erza pathetic for losing her temper. But all expression vanished at Erza's quieter words and after a long moment, she said, "You're right."

And for the second time that morning, Erza was caught off-guard. Judging by her slight smile, Mirajane was definitely aware of Erza's shock, but she acted as if she wasn't. "You're right, and I'm sorry. And you don't need to worry about the sponsorship. It'll be taken care of."

Throwing her towel into a corner, she sat down in front of the pancakes and waited for Erza to slip into the other chair, not as smooth as she should've been. And of course Mirajane had to notice that too, but again, she didn't make mention of it. With an infuriating smirk, she prodded, "Well, did you have anything else you wanted to talk about?" She ripped a large chunk out of a pancake with her teeth.

Erza narrowed her eyes, still upset but unwilling to let this opportunity pass. She mulled over all her questions, choosing to put aside the issue of sponsorship for now, even though Mirajane's answer had been far from satisfactory. "I know you've been doing A-class missions for a while now. Why hasn't that woman heard of you?"

Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "She's not that much older than us, you know. And let's face it, we understand more about how the world works than she ever will."

Erza didn't want to get off-topic, but this was always a sore point for her. "That may be true, but you should still treat her courteously." No matter the age, power, or rank, everyone should be given some measure of respect.

Mirajane looked at her shrewdly. "Never said otherwise, Red. You saw me yesterday. I was very polite."

"Yes, you were so polite, you interrupted our conversation and blatantly laid claim on..." Erza couldn't continue. She should've thought it out more before speaking.

Mirajane finished for her with a wide, snarky grin. "Laid claim on you? Marked my territory? Asserted my right to your-"

Erza cut her off. She was blushing and they both knew it. "We're getting distracted. Give me answers."

Mirajane let it go, though she was still smirking. "I come back to the guild as myself, which is what you see." She drew her hands across her body with a sly grin. Then she shifted and suddenly a very large man was in her place, rolls of flesh spilling over the chair. The she folded in on herself and then she was a middle-aged housewife. A wink, then she settled in her chair as an incredibly non-descript man. In a light tenor voice, she said, "But I do my missions under different personas."

Erza was fascinated despite herself. "How many of those do you have?"

"You name it and I'll do it. I'm one of the best shifters out there, Tinhead." Mirajane flickered in and out of several more shapes before finally returning to her own with a cocky grin.

Erza refrained from rolling her eyes. "And your Take Over forms?"

The grin fell. "Not as many as I should have, thanks to you." Mirajane scowled at Erza, obviously still disgruntled about the whole job-stealing, grimoire-destroying fiasco.

"Do you even use them on missions? When we fought in front of all the guilds, even Master Markarov was a little surprised by all the Take Over forms you cast." Erza was getting a little weary of Mirajane's grudge. What did she want her to do? Get her another copy of the Ars Goetia?

Mirajane ignored her question, tearing through another pancake. "Were you surprised?"

"Not as much as I could've been. I've... watched you train a few times before." She waited for a reaction to her confession of spying.

She was almost disappointed when Mirajane only shrugged matter-of-factly. "Just as well. It could've gone a lot worse for you if you had been completely clueless."

Erza gritted her teeth, but didn't disagree. Mirajane had a good understanding of her armory. Erza, on the other hand, knew very little about Mirajane's Take Over forms before that fight. If she hadn't already had an idea of what to expect, she probably would've lost.

"Anyways, to answer your question - I do use Take Over on the job, but I make sure there are no witnesses." Mirajane bared her teeth in a sinister smile.

"So much for that now. You're on everybody's radar." Erza said dryly. Markarov might've been surprised, but other guildmasters had been absolutely flabbergasted. Added to the fact that the press had been there, and Mirajane suddenly became one of the hottest topics in the area. The local media had gone crazy over her, smitten by her good looks and bad girl attitude. If she had continued the momentum, provided more information for them to salivate over, she probably would've broken into the national circuit.

Mirajane grimaced. "I didn't expect you to crack so soon. My fault for miscalculating."

Erza was less than sympathetic. "It's been great for your career." For Erza, not so great. The local newspapers had published some distasteful cartoons depicting her rivalry with Mirajane. It had been an incredible hassle to force them to withdraw the cartoons and issue an apology, but rants about freedom of speech stood no chance against a dozen sharp weapons and very pointed threats.

"We left Straelen because it wasn't safe." Mirajane finally started using a knife and fork on her tenth pancake, cutting it into nearly perfect squares, still no syrup. "And I thought it'd be best if we didn't attract any attention." She shrugged, squishing her tiny squares of pancake with her fork.

"But you messed up during our fight." Erza said. That would explain Mirajane's distraught look afterwards.

She laughed harshly. "Yeah, I messed up. I don't know if they're still looking for us. I haven't noticed anything unusual the past few months, so I'm not too worried. But regardless, it'll be easier to find us now." She paused, looking down at her plate, now covered with unappetizing squares of pancake pulp. She winced and petulantly pushed it away.

Coughing to distract herself from Mirajane's pout, Erza asked, "Is that why we're going to Straelen? To find out whether people are still looking for you?"

Mirajane stared at her in disbelief. "Do you even think before you speak? What kind of blockhead would do that?" Shaking her head, she pulled Erza's plate closer.

Erza let her, secretly mortified by her own question. Why did she ask that? Had she been that distracted? "Then why are we going? You can't care that much about the tournament."

Mirajane hesitated, then stuffed an entire pancake into her mouth.

Erza could only stare. Mirajane had to be using magic; that pancake was bigger than her face. Then with sudden realization, she said, "It's your cousin, isn't it? The one you used to visit everyday as a child."

Mirajane swallowed the pancake with little difficulty, looking disgruntled. "They told you about her too, huh?"

"Elfman could hardly tell me anything about her. I don't think he even knows her name." She paused, keeping in mind what happened the last time she made a comment about Mirajane's relationship with her siblings. "You seem to be keeping a lot of secrets from him and Lisanna."

To her great relief, Mirajane merely bristled. "They've never asked why we left and they took it seriously enough that I didn't need to explain. And our situation now, well, they haven't done anything to attract attention and they won't anytime soon."

Frustration underlined her words. Lisanna was talented but too laid-back, while Elfman was driven but not as skilled. Their training sessions were probably fraught with tension. Besides that, neither of them were at Mirajane's level. She would always attract the most attention, and it would be her fault if they were discovered. "And your cousin?"

"I just wanted something for myself that has nothing to do with them, and Alexa's it. You wouldn't understand," Mirajane said defensively.

Erza restrained herself from snippily explaining she actually did understand, choosing instead to say very neutrally, "You'd be surprised."

Slavery had a brutal way of stripping away one's identity and it took her a long time to figure out who she was. Buying her first set of armor had been a breakthrough for her, a symbol that Erza Scarlet was more than just a former slave. She was also a girl willing to spend one million jewels on armor. It meant a lot when she discovered that about herself, even though it was an inane (and expensive) fact. So she could see why Mirajane kept her cousin to herself. Alexa was obviously a symbol that she was more than just Elfman and Lisanna's sister. She just didn't understand why Mirajane insisted on such a clean separation, so much so that her siblings were in the complete dark.

In response to her level tone, Mirajane frowned but conceded. "Fine. Maybe you do understand."

"So Alexa's the reason why you're returning to Straelen?" They were finally getting somewhere.

"What do you think?" Mirajane was sulkily avoiding the question.

Erz was exasperated. She could only hope someday, if her own secrets were ever revealed, she'd react more graciously. "I don't care what I think! You said you'd be honest, remember?"

Mirajane shifted as if she was itching to storm out. Her eyes glowed suspiciously, but she deflated with a sigh and admitted reluctantly, "I received a message from her a few days ago."

"What did it say?" Erza had a few concerns, but she knew Mirajane at least verified the origins of the message. The other girl was careful like that. She had refused jobs based on clients' background checks more than once.

Mirajane looked her in the eyes. "Come back."

Erza blinked. "That's it?"

The other girl only shrugged in response. "I like to think she would've added a 'please' if she had more room. It was a tiny piece of paper."

"So you're going just because your cousin told you to?" Erza could feel the muscle in her jaw twitch. That was about as blockheaded as going back just to see if people were still looking for her.

"...Almost better not to know, am I right?" Mirajane's eyes were dark and searching, but her tone was light and teasing.

It was enough to drive home the absurdity of the entire situation, and Erza had to let out a rueful laugh. "Yes, you're right."

Mirajane smiled triumphantly. "I'm usually right. Elfman and Lisanna can vouch for that."

"Almost better. Not better," Erza stressed. Then with more concern, "Will they be safe without you?"

A strange expression crossed Mirajane's face. "They're actually better off if I'm not there. If Rolf's still searching, he'd be looking for me. And if I'm already in Straelen, he won't bother with them until he's dealt with me. In any case, I've already talked to Master Makarov. They should be fine."

Rolf. He must be the one Elfman called a 'nasty piece of work.' "Why would Rolf be looking for you in the first place? Who is he?"

Mirajane hesitated. "You don't really need to know. But if he's one of the reasons Alexa asked me to come back, I'll tell you."

Looking at her serious expression and thinking of all the things she'd already revealed, Erza let it go and nodded in reluctant acquiescence. It was a lost cause if Mirajane wasn't being honest by now, anyways.

But the other girl wasn't done with her yet. "Besides, haven't you had enough for now?" She paused thoughtfully. "I think you've shown more emotion today than you did in the last month. You should be careful not to overexert yourself."

"That's because you weren't around to drive me insane in the past six months." Erza said flatly. It was somehow the wrong thing to say because Mirajane looked inordinately pleased with herself. Intent on wiping the smug look off the other girl's face, she said, "You knew you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from provoking me and potentially attract Rolf's attention, so you stayed away." She made sure she was as bland as possible, although it didn't matter. She hadn't felt lonely at all.

But Mirajane's smirk widened just a fraction. "Sounds like you missed me, Red." Ignoring Erza's faint scoff of outrage, she said archly, "After we come back, we'll have a proper fight. All your equipment, all my forms, and we don't stop until Markarov starts wailing like a baby. What do you say?" She smiled viciously at Erza.

Her mood was contagious, and Erza could feel an answering smile tugging reluctantly at the corner of her mouth, enough for Mirajane to take it as an agreement.

"Excellent. Now let's get back to business. Yesterday evening, I noticed you picked up the left-most fork..."

Erza was beginning to see why Lisanna hated studying so much. Mirajane was relentless. With a stifled sigh, she steeled herself for the dull hours ahead.

* * *

><p>So much for dull. If she had known what was going to happen at dinner, she would have strongly considered giving up her right foot just to get dull back. The two of them returned to their car, a red-faced Erza marching quickly down the corridor and a laughing Mirajane barely able to keep up. Erza slid their door open and had half a mind to slam it in Mirajane's face, but the other girl slipped in before she could.<p>

Slumping against the door, Mirajane shook with laughter despite the heat of Erza's glare. She said with amusement, "What can I say? Cold winters and long nights, Northerners need to pass the time."

Erza was pacing, still blushing wildly at what had happened in the dining car. "That couple, those people, they're all deviants!"

"Hey." Mirajane's suddenly sharp tone caught her attention. "To each their own, Red. They were foolish, but they didn't mean to be malicious or-"

Erza growled. She knew that, but she was still wrapped up in her own embarrassment. She didn't want to think about other people.

Mirajane's mouth clicked shut and she just looked at her. Feeling chastened for some reason, Erza sulkily turned away and started pacing again, willing her blush to disappear. She could still feel the weight of Mirajane's appraising stare and it made her fingers twitch.

Finally, the other girl said, "I'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Still feeling childish, Erza muttered, "You were smirking the entire time. Why do you care?"

A pause, then Mirajane said, "I didn't expect you to be so flustered." She didn't answer the question, Erza noticed.

"Why wouldn't I be flustered?" she snapped. She was fifteen and her fans had some sense of propriety. And boundaries. Those were important.

Mirajane explained almost apologetically. "Laxus gets asked all the time, even when he was our age. I thought the same thing was happening to you too."

"...How would you know?" Erza's mind was suddenly filled with disturbing images. Mirajane and Laxus planning out pranks together, cackling whenever Natsu tripped...

"Markarov's asked me to shadow him a few times," Mirajane said casually.

That took Erza by surprise, though at least her imagination stopped working overtime and her mortification had vanished from her mind. "Because of Ivan? Did he show up?"

"His minions did. I had to break cover one time to help Laxus out." Mirajane turned to lock the door for the night. Her voice was breezy, but her hands were trembling slightly. It must have been a very serious attack if she had to intervene. Erza wondered if that was when Laxus got his scar. Was that when he developed his wary respect for Mirajane?

Then she wondered if she could've done any better. She didn't know whether she should feel jealous Markarov never asked her to help out with his grandson, but watching the other girl get ready for bed, Erza had to admit Mirajane had the best skill set for such discreet requests. If Markarov trusted her with Laxus' safety, no wonder she didn't mind missing out on guild meetings.

"Before he became a jerk and took everything for granted, he used to get all red and sparky whenever men and women invited him to bed." Mirajane dropped onto the couch and looked at Erza expectantly. "I thought you were somewhere in the middle. Used to the invites, but still appreciated them."

Erza shook her head silently in the negative, but her mind was racing. What if her fans did flirt with her and she never noticed? She knew she didn't grasp certain social conventions that others took for granted. Maybe this was one of those cases.

Mirajane tilted her head and said thoughtully, "Maybe it's the type of people you attract." Then with a sharp, teasing grin, she said, "I'm guessing a lot of adolescents swoon when you walk by."

...That did happen once or twice, and it hadn't been just the teenagers. She did miss the signs! Or maybe they had been all sick?

Laughing out loud at her expression, Mirajane exclaimed delightedly, "You mean I'm right?! Oh, I wish Markarov asked me to shadow you instead!" She asked cheekily, "Tell me, do they bat their eyelashes at you?"

Still grappling with what she'd learned, Erza said distractedly, "Maybe? I only really noticed when you did it, though." Ignoring Mirajane's incredulous mumble of '...Really, Red?', she sifted through all those moments that stayed in her head a little too long. There had been that handsome farmer on the hay wagon who asked if she wanted to 'roll in his hay,' the pretty young widow who invited her in for coffee after she spent the entire night getting rid of the serpent in her garden, the cute teenager who asked her to go to the school dance after she took down a corrupt administrator...

Looking at the past year from a certain perspective, her life was clearly full of romantic cliches and she didn't even know.

Mirajane jabbed her in the side to get her attention. "Don't worry, Red. If we do things right during the tournament, we'll be hanging out with the the upper class and they're very direct. You'll understand what they want from you right away."

Erza cringed inwardly at the thought. Doing the tournament right wasn't an issue at all, but dealing with the rich and powerful? What was the right way to reject them? She had a feeling violence wouldn't work. "And if I don't want what they want?"

"...That puts a damper in my plan." Mirajane admitted somberly.

Erza stared at her and demanded, "What plan?"

"The plan to make you less uptight, of course." She cracked a grin. "In other words, to get that stick-"

Erza tackled her. Hadn't she had enough entertainment at Erza's expense already? Mirajane was laughing too hard to dodge effectively and she let out an 'oof' as Erza crushed her into the couch cushions.

She looked up at Erza, breathless with laughter. "When I was a child, people used earrings to show they were unavailable." She traced Erza's ear with the tip of her finger. "A little metal bar, right here."

Erza did her best to ignore the sensation. "So I need to pierce my ears?"

Mirajane struggled underneath her, but eventually relented, "It's been three years, so the signs might've changed. I'll ask Alexa when I see her."

"She keeps track of things like that?" Similar to Mirajane then, who was conscientious of every aspect of her image, down to her bracelet and other accessories.

"Of course. She can't take full advantage of her looks otherwise." Was Mirajane actually envious?

Curious, Erza pulled away to sit properly on the couch. "Is she that beautiful?"

"People would do a double-take whenever she walked by. Even when she was our age, she was receiving proposals. She might even be married by now." She sounded doubtful, though.

Erza thought people like that existed only in books. "You have a photo of her?"

"No... but I did draw a picture of her..." Mirajane rooted through her belongings and shoved an open notebook in Erza's face.

The picture was hideous. It was as if a scarecrow had spilled its innards onto the paper and scribbled in green jellybeans for eyes with its dying breath. At least Erza thought they were eyes. The only clue she had was that there were two of them. Hastily glancing away, she looked at Mirajane, unable to tell if she was serious or not.

"You drew this?" She didn't even try to keep the horror out of her voice. Confronted with such lack of skill, who could?

Mirajane wavered a little, then she said confidently, "Yes, I did."

Half-joking, half-serious, Erza said, "We should burn it." Ignoring Mirajane's look of outrage, she jabbed at the pink splotch in the bottom right corner. "What's this supposed to be?"

"...Her mouth," Mirajane said angrily. Then recovering quite nicely and staring at her drawing in sudden contemplation, she said, "This picture's probably not enough anyways."

Erza couldn't resist. "I hope so. Alexa's human, isn't she?"

Mirajane smacked her hard with the notebook. "When we see her tomorrow, you'll know what I mean."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05: Arrival

* * *

><p>Erza jolted awake. There was something in their car, moving around in the dark. Summoning a sword, she tensed in anticipation. When she felt the other presence approach, she rose and-<p>

"Hey! Stop!" Mirajane's urgent hiss made her halt mid-strike.

Heart pounding, Erza hissed back, "What are you doing?!" She dismissed her sword.

The darkness was suddenly alleviated by a pair of glowing blue eyes. "We're leaving," the other girl said matter-of-factly.

"Now?" Glancing out the window, Erza saw it was still black, though judging by the clock on the wall, it looked like the sun was about to rise soon. They were due to arrive in Straelen in about an hour.

Mirajane grumbled as she shifted luggage around. "Why do you bring so much stuff? What do you have in here?"

Erza drew a hand through her hair, snappish at the non-answer and grumpy with the entire situation. "None of your business. Why are we leaving?"

Mirajane straightened and kicked at one of the trunks in aggravation. "I'll explain once we're off. Get ready to jump."

That got Erza's attention, even as she got out of bed and swapped her pajamas for an armored parka, lined with fur and metal plates. "What?"

"What do you mean, what? You've never jumped off a train before?" Her eyes were glittering with suppressed excitement. Looking down at Erza's luggage, she said, "Throw all your bags over, but if there's nothing important, we'll leave them." Her own bags strapped close to her body, Mirajane strode to the window and popped it open. Freezing cold air blasted through the car. Ignoring Erza's wordless sound of disbelief, she leapt through the window.

Growling under her breath, Erza had no choice but to follow, flinging her four pieces of luggage out the window. Then she jumped. She landed on her feet, sinking into the heavy snow. Her bags lay nearby, and farther away, she could see Mirajane jogging towards her. Brushing the snow off, she waited until the other girl, not even breathing hard and grinning wildly, reached her.

Erza didn't return the smile. "Explain. Now."

Mirajane rolled her eyes but said, "There might be people looking for us at the station, so I wanted to enter the city by foot."

"And you couldn't tell me before we went to sleep?" That was the part that actually ticked her off, actually. Jumping off a train was easy.

"I was hoping to hear from Alexa by now, but she hasn't sent me anything, so I was still thinking it through by the time you fell asleep."

She didn't appreciate the other girl's flippant tone, but Erza let it go grudgingly, "That's alright, then."

Mirajane huffed. "Give me some credit. I know now you get all sulky when I don't tell you things."

"And what was that about my belongings?" She ignored Mirajane's snarky, knowing tone.

"I looked through them, Red, and they're all cooking supplies. We're not going to do any cooking, I have no idea where you got that idea, so we're going to leave them here." Mirajane's terseness was undermined by chattering teeth. "I'm assuming you have all your necessities in your requip space."

Erza began to protest, but thought better of it. She just liked having the proper tools available when inspiration hit her. It wasn't exactly an excuse Mirajane would accept. "How long will it take to walk to Straelen?" She wasn't looking forward to the next few hours. Knowing the other girl, she'd probably be quizzed on the local flora and fauna for no good reason at all.

Mirajane grinned. "This is why shapeshifters are so useful. A shape for every situation." She shifted into a large, cat-like animal that Erza didn't recognize. Wide paws, heavy fur and mane, she was made for the cold and the snow. With a growl, she crouched low to the ground.

Well then. Checking to make sure Mirajane's bags were still securely strapped to her new form and casting a wistful look at her own luggage, Erza climbed on and braced herself. The cat's muscles contracted underneath her, and with a sudden leap, they were loping silently through the woods. The cold air was refreshing and the landscape was rushing by almost as fast as it had been when they were on the train. She had to bite back a whoop of exhilaration. Then all of a sudden, Mirajane was sliding down a very steep slope and she was more preoccupied by not screaming than the actual ride.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, when they finally reached the outskirts of Straelen where the city walls were looming above then, Mirajane knelt down and rudely shrugged Erza off her back. Stiff and more than a little cold, she managed to land on her feet while Mirajane returned to her human form, taking long, measured breaths and still on her knees.<p>

Giving the other girl time and space to recover, Erza stretched and paced in a circle. The sun had risen, but it was only marginally warmer. In other words, still freezing. Chancing a look behind her, she did a small double-take when she saw a tall, dark-haired man crouching in Mirajane's place.

"...So what do I call you now?" She was proud of her level tone.

The man's green eyes twinkled. "Johnny Black, if you please." He rose gracefully and moved in closer, flashing a white, white smile.

"A fairly generic name," Erza commented. She had to tilt her head upwards to meet his eyes and didn't quite like it. She was used to doing the opposite with Mirajane.

The familiar smirk broke the illusion of charm. "I usually use him for low-profile, fluff missions." At Erza's blank look, Mirajane clarified. "Investigating husbands, comforting grieving widows, escorting said widows, etc. He's pretty much an unknown."

As they began jogging towards the walls, Erza said dryly, "Expecting to find some widows in the city?"

Mirajane, or rather, Johnny Black, gave her an intense, sincere look. "No, miss. You have my full attention."

"That works?" Erza chuckled, even as her stomach lurched a little. The other girl was good. If she hadn't known any better...

"Sometimes people just need company." Mirajane shrugged. "And sometimes they need arm candy. Johnny Black does both."

They walked along the wall until they found a small gate, locked but unguarded. Mirajane poked and prodded the surrounding stones, she said absently, "When I'm myself, we can bicker like we always do." She glanced at Erza gravely. "When I'm in character, follow my lead." She pried one of the stones loose and pulled out a box, containing a key and papers.

Erza observed with some interest. Mirajane the professional was new, but not terrifying, unlike her unnervingly pleasant smiles in the dining car. She could deal with a professional. "How'd you know that would be there?"

Mirajane didn't look up, perusing one of the papers and putting the rest in her bag. "A guess. I used this gate a lot when I was a kid, and Alexa knows that." She knelt to open the gate with the key. The wall shimmered with a spell and then the gate opened with a creak. Mirajane rolled back onto her feet, stretching upwards, and Erza was momentarily taken aback. Mirajane took up more space than her size by sheer force of will and personality, but Johnny's form was unexpectedly tall and muscular. Did she really only use him for 'fluff' missions?

Mirajane (Johnny? Better to start thinking of her as Johnny Black for now.) gave her a good-natured grin. "Let's go, Miss Scarlet. I'll give you the grand tour and then we'll check in at the hotel. I think you'll like it. Alexa booked a nice one for us." She held her hand out. Erza stared and reminded herself to follow Mirajane's lead. She hesitated for a second more, then took the offered hand.

* * *

><p>They emerged discreetly into an alley and then they merged into the bustling crowd on the streets. Mid-morning and snowing gently, this part of the city was picturesque and lively. The streets were full of people, some rushing to and fro and others taking their sweet time. Sometimes they collided and the inevitably amusing confrontation happened. Still, as Mirajane and Erza made their way to the city center, they attracted looks from everyone.<p>

As long as she was moving, Erza didn't mind the stares. She always stood out. Redheads were rare, but even if she were to dye her hair, she would never put aside her armor, and that would always set her apart. But judging from Mirajane's increasingly tight grip on her hand, the other girl didn't seem comfortable with all the attention, which was odd because she had been fine on the train. Outwardly, she was fine, acting the part of an attentive boyfriend, leaning close to point out interesting landmarks and even buying waffles and roasted walnuts. Only the creak of Erza's steel gauntlet gave her away. That, combined with her solicitous behavior, put Erza on edge, so she was relieved when they reached the center of the city, a vast circular plaza where the surrounding buildings looked less picturesque and more majestic. There were less people milling about; Mirajane relaxed her grip, but didn't let go.

As they stopped at a bench to finish their snacks, Mirajane wrapped an arm around Erza's shoulders, bringing their heads close together. She was smiling that charming smile, but she muttered under her breath, "Wasn't expecting that."

Forcing herself not to show how uncomfortable she felt, Erza murmured just as quietly, "People stare at you all the time. What makes this any different?" She didn't bother trying to smile.

"They stare at me when I'm me. I'm not often me. As for Johnny Black, he's supposed to be good-looking but unremarkable, so he's not used to the attention." Mirajane leaned in, biting into Erza's waffle.

"You talk about him as if he's real. And stop that. This is mine." Erza tried to shield her food.

"I bought it, I get to eat it." Mirajane snagged a second bite. Swallowing, she said, "It's easier to put aside who I am if I pretend he's real."

Erza pushed her away, but not too hard. They were still playing the lovebirds and she had no intention of failing this game, no matter how hard she wanted to punch her companion. "You're too effective, then. Johnny Black's been crushing my gauntlet out of shape." It was strange to speak about Johnny Black as if he was another person in their conversation. Shapeshifting magic was more complicated than she expected.

Mirajane glanced down at Johnny's gloved hands, wide and long-fingered. "...I'd prefer to be myself too. But look what he can do!" She took the last walnut and cracked it open with one hand.

Erza wasn't impressed, and she imagined her expression showed as much because Mirajane looked disappointed. "I forgot who I'm talking to." She tapped at a gauntlet. "You're practically a walking nutcracker. Maybe everyone was just staring at you." She sighed and looked around, rubbing her hands against the cold. "I think we've spent enough time here. Let's go."

They walked around; Mirajane pointing out the estates of various mage families lining the plaza. Erza was half-paying attention, occupied by the fact that Mirajane was still holding her hand. Though more gentle than before, it was still a very firm grip. She'd have to check for damage later.

"...And here we have the Grand Strauss Residen..." Mirajane, who had been gleefully mimicking the pompous mannerisms of a tour guide, stopped abruptly.

The sudden stop got Erza's full attention and when she followed Mirajane's gaze, she immediately realized the reason for her silence. In the middle of winter, the Strauss residence stood untouched. No snow fell on its roofs, the property beyond the gate was riotous with bright flowers, and leafy tree branches rustled gently above the walls. Secretly giddy at this unexpected sight of spring, she turned to catch a horrified expression cross her companion's face. But before she could ask, Mirajane recovered and casually closed in on an old couple nearby.

"Sir, ma'am? I was wondering, would you be able to settle a bet between my girl-" she tugged a reluctant Erza closer. "-and I?"

The couple approached hesitantly, glancing at a very stiff Erza, but still drawn in by Mirajane's smile. The old man cleared his throat and asked, "You strangers here for the Einsatz tournament?"

"Maybe, but we're here mostly because I wanted to spend time with my lady in this gorgeous city. Mirajane jostled Erza discreetly, and Erza mustered up a close-lipped smile. It was a poor attempt, but it must've been sufficient because the couple visibly softened.

Seeing that, Mirajane continued. "We noticed this amazing-" she gestured at the Strauss estate in all its spring glory. "-house. And I said someone there must've gotten tired of all the snow and just worked magic. But she says there's no way people would waste that much magic." She looked at them pleadingly. "Can you help us out? Breakfast in bed is at stake here."

They chuckled and the old woman said warmly, "That spell's been in place for months now, dear. The Strauss family's just flaunting their power for no good reason."

Her husband interrupted her. "That's not true! ...Well, not completely true," he amended after his wife glared at him. "They kicked off the spell when the old patriarch fell ill. I heard his son swore the spell would keep going until his father got better. Or died. He hasn't done either yet."

The elderly woman didn't agree and they started bickering. But Erza didn't pay them any attention because Mirajane looked sick, as if she'd received devastating news. She gathered her composure quickly though, and when the couple finished arguing, she had enough presence of mind to ask, "So how long has that spell been in place?"

The two of them looked at each other, and the old woman said tentatively, "Three, four months, I guess?"

Mirajane inhaled sharply, but she said lightly enough, "I guess I win. That's a ridiculous amount of magic. No kid's that dedicated to his dad." She looked over at Erza. "Breakfast in bed! I'd like-"

Erza reflexively opened her mouth to argue, but the old man beat her to it.

"Son," he said, clapping Mirajane on the shoulder, "Let me give you some advice. Your lady always wins. Always. So why don't you give her that breakfast in bed? You'll be better off in the long run." His wife chuckled and nodded at the same time.

Mirajane stared at them, then let out an incredibly pleased laugh.

* * *

><p>Mirajane's good-natured grin persisted, even after they said their goodbyes to the old couple. Erza didn't bother asking; the grin had a smugness to it and she didn't want to encourage the other girl.<p>

They meandered through town and Mirajane eventually lead them to a large, opulent hotel. Erza could've spent a day just staring at its intimidating facade, but was forced to trail after Mirajane as she checked in. She had a depressing feeling she looked like a goldfish, gaping at the decor. Who was paying for this? Definitely not Mirajane, so it had to be her cousin. Was Alexa one of those rich aristocrats Erza always read about? Their suite was on the seventh floor, facing the plains, and equipped with a small kitchenette, a huge bathroom and a bedroom. At the sight of the sole queen bed, Erza opened her mouth to speak, but shut it when Mirajane glanced at her swiftly.

The other mage sent out a light shimmer of magic through the entire suite, but nothing happened. With a nod of satisfaction, she finally returned to her real shape. She stretched, rolling her shoulders and cracking her knuckles. "Small hands again. Can't do much with them now." Pouting a little, she held her hands out for Erza to see.

Erza snorted. "Don't bother. I know what those hands are capable of." She was glad to see the other girl in her original form. It had been interesting to see her in action as Johnny Black, but it was easier for to read Mirajane's expressions this way.

The other girl laughed and withdrew her hands. Spinning around, she dumped her bags in the bedroom. "I need to take a look around, find out what's changed. Will you be alright by yourself?"

Erza frowned. "I should go with you." Was Mirajane trying to hide something? In any case, it'd be safer and easier to protect her if she wasn't going off alone.

"Not tonight." Mirajane's mouth was full; she was simultaneously finishing off an energy bar and rummaging through drawers. "I'm going small, so unless you have some very specialized equipment that I don't know about, you won't be able to keep up."

She caught Erza's displeased expression and with a raised eyebrow, impatiently repeated herself. "So you can't come. You'll be fine by yourself?"

Erza's scowl grew. "Of course." She wasn't a child. She recognized a reasonable answer when she heard one.

"If I'm not back in three hours, go back to the vendor who sold us waffles and ask for Peter." Mirajane gave her a sardonic smile. "Or you could harass all the civilians for answers."

That was a tried and true method; Erza didn't understand she always got so much grief about it from everybody else. She began to retort, but Mirajane cut her off, shrugging on a jacket and already at the door.

"In the meantime, you can unpack the brown bag." She poked her head outside and then with one, last meaningful look over her shoulder at Erza, she said, "Close the door behind me." Then she vanished. Or she seemed to have vanished. Erza caught sight of something small and white scurry into a hallway vent.

She closed the door with a sigh. Three hours, hmm?

* * *

><p>Five minutes after Mirajane left, she had finished unpacking the brown bag, which contained bathroom items and other essentials. She left the other bag untouched; it was probably spelled, knowing the other girl. The next two hours and forty-five minutes, she rotated between catnapping, tending to her equipment and restlessly pacing around the one queen-sized bed (she'd deal that problem later) with irritation, some anxiety and quite a lot of boredom. At this point, she was willing to have any company, even Mirajane's.<p>

Two hours and fifty-five minutes in, Erza heard a knock. She didn't exactly leap to answer the door, but it was pretty close. But before she opened the door, she remembered how paranoid the other girl had been, so she peered through the peephole, where she saw Mirajane smiling lazily and swinging a bag of takeout. Erza sighed inwardly, thinking maybe she was being too cautious. She swung the door open, moving aside as the girl strode in.

But Erza began to feel uneasy. Mirajane, when she wasn't being someone else, moved with confident, unfaltering grace. Her forceful personality showed in every step. But now she was _flitting_, moving too lightly about the room. Erza's suspicions were confirmed when the other girl began to speak. She smiled inwardly, even as she drew her sword. The day Mirajane acted like this lackluster imposter would be the day she carried only no weapons. She swiftly pointed her blade at the girl's throat. "Who are you?"

Of course, that was when Mirajane quietly made her entrance via the window, letting in a blast of freezing air.


End file.
